


bitches (Maria’s Interlude)

by LightningInABottle



Series: BLUE LIPS [7]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr Is A True Ally, Angst with a Happy Ending, Divorce, Explicit Language, F/F, Falling In Love, From Sex to Love, Girls Kissing, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, James Reynolds Being an Asshole, Lesbian Sex, Lesbians, Lesbophobia, Love Confessions, Maria Reynolds is Maria Lewis, Non-Explicit Sex, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Scissoring, Sexuality Crisis, Song Lyrics, Songfic, safe sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:43:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningInABottle/pseuds/LightningInABottle
Summary: Maria Reynolds just wanted a one-night thing, but a call from her soon-to-be ex husband changes everything.Now, she thinks she might be falling for a presumably straight Angelica Schuyler.If only she could get Reynolds’s voice out of her head, reminding her that bitches aren’t supposed to be trusted.





	bitches (Maria’s Interlude)

**Author's Note:**

> For enhanced reading experience, listen to bitches by Tove Lo!  
> (And read the past six works)

Maria Reynolds sat on a barstool, illuminated by lights in shades of pink and red, some electric guitar blaring from the speakers. She was too engrossed in watching the crowds of moving people that she barely noticed the fact that her glass was empty. After setting it down and declining another one, Maria stood, tapping her fingers on the bar table absentmindedly. Reynolds must’ve found her number again, because her phone was blowing up with so many messages—all of them variations of  _ ‘stupid dyke’  _ and  _ ‘ungrateful bitch’ _ —that she had to shut it off. Which meant she couldn’t use the app she normally did for hookups, which meant she had to find the closest lesbian bar around. 

Not that she particularly minded; it was much easier to pick out good from bad when she could see her options in person. Maria always knew when she wanted, someone who would appreciate it, if only for a night. And preferably, a girl who wouldn’t sneer down at her when she heard the words ‘ _ technically married,’  _ like so many others tended to do. As if being raised in a family where one wasn’t expected to get engaged fresh out of high school somehow made them  _ more gay.  _

In fact, the complete lack of judgment might’ve been why she preferred straight girls, ones who would touch her like they knew what they were doing, although they quite obviously didn’t. Well, that and they were easier to leave. If Aaron was here, he might’ve frowned at her and said something about her wanting to regain control through sex. Maria was glad he wasn’t here. As much as she cared for her friend, and was thankful that despite all of his other cases, he still found room to be her divorce lawyer, she also didn’t need his logical reasoning holding her back. 

Maria walked along to outskirts of the dance floor, not wanting to get pulled into some strange grinding without her permission. There was also the added benefit of the lights being slightly brighter and less blurry, allowed her to actually see the faces of the women she was talking to. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. It was a tentative touch, almost unsure, and Maria was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. And that was before she even turned around and  _ saw  _ the one talking to her. 

“You look too aloof to be in a bar like this,” the girl joked, radiating energy despite her nervousness. Maria’s breath caught in her throat, a rather embarrassing reaction, considering she was no longer a teenager staring at models on the television. Her eyes took in dark, bouncy curls tied away from her face, with even darker eyes that sparkled with intelligence. The girl looked vaguely familiar, although Maria knew she would have remembered meeting someone like  _ her.  _

“Guess I'm feeling jaded,” Maria smiled, suddenly glad that she wore her favorite red dress tonight. As much as she hated being the desperate one, the feeling crept in on her. Reynolds had her on edge, a bit too stressed to really let loose. “I’m Maria Lewis,” she said, tipping her head in acknowledgment. 

“Angelica Schuyler.”

Maria’s eyes widened as realization flashed through her.  _ This  _ was the girl Aaron had mentored in law school, and then hopelessly pursued. She had been subject to enough rants and random selfies and pleads for advice to last her a lifetime. But that was nothing compared to when Aaron showed back up in the states and immediately dragged Maria out to get drinks and commiserate the fact that his college crush had apparently found someone else. Maria gave her another slow once-over, seeing how she might’ve appealed to Aaron back when he was still a fuckboy. Angelica was definitely gorgeous, in the unattainable, out-of-your-league way. 

“Do we know each other?” Angelica asked, frowning as she took a closer look at Maria, who bit back a smug smile at the attention.

“Aaron Burr’s a good friend of mine, and I’m one of his clients. You might know him…” Maria trailed off, a grin breaking out across her face when she saw the absolute look of disgust Angelica made, rolling her eyes.

“ _ Burr.  _ Ugh, I hate that guy.” It didn’t exactly come as a surprise, Burr had garnered quite a reputation with the ladies before he got engaged. This would be a good story to tell him later. Maria tried her best not to laugh, but the chuckle left her lips nonetheless. She didn’t miss the flash of pride in Angelica’s eyes at apparently saying something funny enough to provoke a reaction. 

“He’s better now, I promise.” Maria began leading them over to the exit, thankful that she had gotten someone early on in the night. There was nothing worse than stalking around a club long enough for it to get awkward, before having to settle for someone mediocre. Unwelcome, Reynolds rose up in her mind, hissing  _ mediocre  _ over and over, each word punctuated with a slap. She shook him off, ignoring the goosebumps that had appeared on her arms. “But I do remember him telling me something about you having a boyfriend.” 

Maria always had to be cautious with this subject, knowing that she had absolutely no room to talk about being taken. But there was a difference between wanting to be a girl’s first foray into the world of lesbianism and having a jealous dudebro knocking down her door for  _ corrupting his girlfriend.  _ Angelica pursed her lips.

“Yeah, I had John Church, back when I was still in London. Didn’t go so well, so I figured I’d try girls out for a chance,” Angelica said, never taking her eyes off Maria, who was doing her best not to snap a response about how you can’t  _ try out girls.  _ But she held her tongue, instead linking arms with Angelica and guiding her outside the bar, right onto the New York street that was bustling even though it must’ve already been midnight. There was something equally frustrating and flattering about being a straight girls’  _ experiment.  _ The benefits outweighed the drawback most days, meaning that Maria normally had no trouble not getting attached to someone that was most likely going to leave anyway. 

“Then consider me flattered to be your first,” Maria winked, and was rewarded with a dark blush on Angelica’s cheeks. Based on what she heard from Aaron, Angelica wasn’t one to get easily embarrassed. 

“Hey, if you’re one of Burr’s clients,” Angelica began, and Maria stiffened up immediately.  _ Here it goes.  _ “Then why haven’t I heard your name before? Burr and I work in the same firm.” Maria sighed, lingering by the doors of the club and seriously considering if it was too late to back out now. This was why she didn’t sleep with anyone she knew, because they would inevitably ask about the one thing she didn’t want to talk about. 

“You’ve probably heard of Maria Reynolds. That’s me.” Maria didn’t expect much fanfare, maybe some shock or prying questions like other people seemed to have. But Angelica simply nodded, chewing at the inside of her cheek. They fell into a silence, in which neither of them spoke or moved, dissolving further and further into awkwardness. Until Maria spoke, nothing much, just the customary question. 

“You tested?” 

Now  _ that  _ made Angelica’s eyes widen. Seriously, did no guys talk about protection? Maria forced all thoughts of Reynolds out of her mind. She didn’t need to think about what he did, what happened after, why she left him. He would be out of Maria’s life soon enough and she could move on. But in the meantime...there were always nice distractions, like Angelica and her pretty lips. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Angelica’s voice had jumped up multiple pitches. Maria moved even closer so that their linked arms brushed as they began to walk to her apartment. There really wasn’t a reason to have a car or get a taxi when she lived in the busiest part of the city, and she found herself grateful that she lived so close to this particular bar. 

“Know your own love, angel,” Maria said, keying in the code to her building, Angelica’s anxiousness almost palpable. “I don’t fuck without protection.” Angelica shook her head in a silent no.  _ Protection it is, then.  _ They had to break apart when Maria began climbing the short flight of stairs up to her room, grinning down at Angelica when she reached her door. She had to pause and take a deep breath to remind herself that Angelica was probably new to this sort of thing. 

As soon as the apartment was closed and the door locked, Maria placed on hand on the back of Angelica’s neck and another on her waist, pulling them even closer together until their bodies touched, and then their lips. Kissing Angelica was surprisingly intoxicating, the way her mouth was soft when it molded around Maria’s, the way she curiously deepened the kiss. When they pulled away, Angelica’s pupils were blown wide, eagerness surpassing the tentative way with which she moved.

“Is this going to become like...a thing?” She asked, licking her bottom lip like she wanted to savor the taste of Maria’s alcohol-favored tongue. Maria had to actually keep herself from laughing at the hopefulness in Angelica’s expression as she searched for a way to say that she was more  _ hit it and quit it  _ than  _ friends with benefits.  _ But considering how Angelica was everything Maria was looking for, she held off on a stone-cold rejection. Maybe she could see how good the sex was before deciding. 

“We’re here now,” she shrugged, reaching in to pull the zipper on Angelica’s skirt. “So why complicate it?” Maria’s clothes were next to go, left crumpled on the carpet like a fabric trail leading to her bedroom. Angelica touched her with a strange sort of exploratory confidence, not freezing up like some of the others, but taking each new piece of skin revealed as a place for lips and teeth and fingertips. 

In the end, it was Angelica who pushed Maria back onto her bed, not the other way around. While Maria usually liked to be the one in control, something in the way Angelica was looking at her made her surrender and relax onto the sheets. It was then when she hesitated, looking up at Maria, a silent question in her lips. Maria smiled reassuringly at her, running a hand through her hair, tangling her fingers in the curls and tugging the hair tie gently from them. 

“Let me be your guide when you eat me out,” she murmured, and Angelica relaxed, determination sparking in her expression. 

“I can do this by myself,” she said, her stare unwavering as she shimmied between Maria’s legs with single-minded focus, running her hands up her thighs. Despite her attempts to seem sure of herself, it was painfully obvious that she had no idea what she was doing

“'I've had one or two, even a few, y’know,” Maria reminded her, enjoying the feeling of Angelica’s hair in her hands and the way her breaths fluttered against the inside of Maria’s thighs. “Way more than you have.” Angelica met her eyes, smirking up at her devilishly. 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t make this good for you,” she said, and Maria let her head fall back against the pillows, instructions and praises spilling from her lips. 

And although Maria knew Angelica really shouldn’t be special, she was just one of the many girls who stared at Maria, drop lip, when she walked into a bar, there was still the underlying instinct to hold her close and whisper in her ear how  _ perfect  _ and  _ beautiful  _ she was. But instead of saying something like that, Maria just reminded herself that Angelica, like all other straight girls, would be gone before she knew it. However, it was difficult not to be entranced by how Angelica looked when Maria finally flipped her onto her back, pinning her wrists to the sheets as they kissed.

How their bodies intertwined was nothing short of magical, dripping in harmony.  _ Like fifth,  _ a small part of her brain joked, and Maria smiled into the curve of Angelica’s neck. The sounds Angelica made were like a symphony, music to Maria’s ears. Even though this was the usual pattern, something about Angelica that Maria couldn’t quite name made it different. But nevertheless, this night went like so many others had before. 

_ —lay 'em down, feel 'em up—and they slide away— _

Afterward, Maria had pulled Angelica into one last, desperate kiss before the other woman had collected her clothes, saying various combinations of words like  _ ‘wow,’ ‘good,’  _ and, the most concerning,  _ ‘do this again sometime?’  _ Of course, the phrase itself wasn’t disturbing, but the fact that Maria had written down Angelica’s number and actually  _ agreed,  _ that was the most shocking part. She watched Angelica go, stretching out on her bed, the smell of unfamiliar perfume still on the sheets, and smiled up at the ceiling, all of her previous worries gone.  

_ So easy _

* * *

The problem was, when Maria couldn’t sleep, she liked to go to her cabinet and pour herself a glass of something strong enough to wash the stress away. About an hour after Angelica left, Maria had turned her phone off, taking a sip of the liquor, and was bombarded with pent-up calls and texts from Reynolds. She sighed, and tapped over to the  _ block  _ button, and was just about to press it when her phone rang again, this time with an incoming call. Aaron would tell her not to pick it up. He would say it’s a bad idea, that she should save herself the pain and not—

Maria picked up the call. 

“Finally,” Reynolds growled from the other side, his voice grating on her ears like sandpaper. If sandpaper could make you freeze up in terror, that is. “I’ve been calling for a while. What were you doing? Busy with another one of your bitches, I assume.” His words made anger bloom in Maria’s chest, burning away her fear. There was no way she would let him insult Angelica, who was brilliant and beautiful and didn’t deserve to get wrapped up in this mess.

“Don’t you dare say that to me.” Maria was proud of how she didn’t waver or shake. She could be strong, she  _ needed  _ to be. Reynolds simply barked a cruel laugh before continuing to speak. 

“Should’ve known you’d pull this shit in high school. Seemed like a dyke bitch back then too, but I married you anyway. And  _ this  _ is how you repay me?” It was all too easy to imagine the spittle flying from Reynolds’s lips, how he clenched the phone in his hand so tightly it was in danger of breaking. Maria forced herself to take deep breaths, knowing that she couldn’t lose it now. Not when she was doing so well for the past few months. 

“Shut up, Reynolds,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes to keep tears from spilling over. Why did she continue to do this to herself? It would’ve been so easy to hang up, or to not pick up the call at all. But instead she tortured herself with the memories and the hurt and  _ why was her glass empty already how much had she drank? _

“See, this is why I don’t trust bitches like you. And you shouldn’t trust your bitches either, because they’re only good for a night. Take it from me, honey-dearest,” he sounded sickeningly sweet, the sudden change in tone only making more nausea churn in Maria’s gut, bile rising at the back of her throat. She hated that she listened to Reynolds at all, but this was the one piece of his advice she actually took.  _ Bitches, I don’t trust ‘em. “ _ All you have to do is tell them and they’ll do what you like. But don’t forget to toss them away when you’re done, like I tossed  _ you  _ away.” 

Maria’s breathing sped up, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She had never wished so desperately that someone was here with her, to hold her and pry the phone away from her hands and tell him off. Suddenly, she was just the scared, newly-graduated girl whose family told her to marry her high school boyfriend. None of the progress she had made in the past few months mattered, she was just as pathetic as she was the day she had left Reynolds.  _ Why? _

“I thought I made it perfectly clear that I didn’t want to talk to you,” she gritted out, steeling herself. This wouldn’t be like last time, or like the three years she spent tied to him, too afraid of speaking out. She would fight back this time. Reynolds, however, was undeterred, chuckling darkly into the phone. 

“That’s too bad, because I thought  _ I  _ made it perfectly clear that as my wife, your body belongs to  _ me _ .” Maria froze, lungs suddenly unable to draw air into her. She could almost  _ see  _ Reynold’s sadistic smirk. “Don’t you remember that night, Maria?”  _ No. Not again.  _ The flashback flickered behind her eyelids, tearing her apart from the inside out. 

— _ no no no _ — _ stop _ — _ no no no _ — _ your fault _ — _ where’s the condom _ — _ don’t touch me _ — _ your fault if you get knocked up _ — _ no no no stop _ —

“Should’ve kept the baby so that you had a reason to _ — _ ” Reynolds never got to finish his sentence. A cry ripping its way from her throat, Maria hurled her phone across the room. It hit the wall of her kitchen, and the movement of her arm also tipped over the empty glass off her counter and onto the floor. She stayed there for what could’ve been minutes or hours, sobbing into her hands, Reynold’s words replaying in her mind. 

_ —bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but they give me what I want for the night—bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but I tell ‘em and they do what I like— _

After what seemed like centuries of broken crying, Maria stood on shaky legs and walked over to where her phone lay, cracked, on the tile. With trembling fingers, she picked it up, briefly wondering if she should call Aaron. He normally helped her when she got like this, pulled apart by memories that left her as shattered at the liquor glass she had also knocked over. But Aaron would be asleep at this hour, curled up with his fiancée, Theodosia, who loved him. So instead, Maria clicked on the latest contact entered into her phone.  _ Why?  _ She didn’t know. 

“Hey, Angelica? I’m sorry for calling but I...can I come over? I just need someone to stay with me right now.”

* * *

 

It was two months after they first hooked up, two months since she last talked to Reynolds, two months after she went over to Angelica’s apartment that she shared with her youngest sister that Maria realized that this was most certainly  _ a thing.  _ Not only had she not even looked at anyone else ever since Angelica walked into her life with those confident, tentative touches, but she also opened up to her about exactly what happened with Reynolds. Only Aaron had that level of trust with her, and he was a long-standing friend who also happened to be trying to facilitate her divorce. 

Maria had told Angelica  _ everything,  _ from how Reynolds was her high school sweetheart who turned abusive the second the wedding band got slipped onto her finger at only nineteen years old, how she had endured taunts and slaps and shoves for three years before finally…

 

_ “He raped me,” Maria had whispered to Angelica, curled up to her chest in the darkness of Angelica’s apartment, her feet still scratched up from the glass she had walked on. “And I got pregnant.” Angelica’s breath had caught in her throat, and she pulled Maria closer, stroking her back comfortingly. “I was gonna keep the baby, I swear. He told everyone it was my idea but...he’s the one that made the appointment.”  _

 

Angelica had held Maria as she sobbed, murmuring soothing words into her ear. And when the sun finally came up and both of them were asleep, Maria had finally felt completely at peace for the first time in years. Neither of them had brought up that night, although they ended up calling each other on more occasions. After a few drinks, Angelica had sheepishly admitted that she maybe wasn’t as straight as she originally thought, and it was then that Maria knew she was absolutely and irrevocably fucked. 

 

That didn’t stop her from continuing to meet up with Angelica, or cling on to her afterward and ask for her to stay the night. It also didn’t stop her from ranting to Aaron at every possible occasion about how  _ unfair  _ this whole thing was. 

“Okay, okay...let me get this straight. Or gay, I guess. You’re dating my law-school crush?” Maria had thrown a pillow at him, one that he dodged with precision. 

“ _ Hooking up with.  _ There’s a difference.” Maria’s cheeks turned the same bright red color of her lipstick when Aaron grinned at her. 

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” He raised his hands to his lips like a megaphone. “ _ Maria’s in lo—ah!”  _ Aaron yelped suddenly when Maria pushed him over, giggling. “Now is that any way to treat your lawyer?” 

Maria had stuck her tongue out at him, but had gotten momentarily distracted when her phone pinged with a text from Angelica. Her eyes lit up along with the still-cracked screen, and the way her heart fluttered was undeniable. 

 

_ From: Angel <3  _

_ Come over? _

 

And that was how she ended up here, legs wrapped around Angelica’s waist, grinding her hips down, panting heavily as Angelica planted kisses on her neck, sucking the tender skin into her mouth. It had taken a bit of convincing for her to realize that Maria wasn’t going to shatter just because of a touch, but Angelica had sworn to take it slow. It was a nice change of events for Maria, having  _ someone else  _ hold back. Angelica was a quick learner, despite the fact that she had never even kissed a girl before Maria.

“You just can't fake it with me, huh?” Maria teased, grinning when she heard Angelica moan at the friction between them. The hands on Maria’s hips tightened, fingers massaging into her hipbones and playing with her panties and the hem of her shirt, which was quickly tugged over her head and thrown on the floor. The afternoon light cast the two of them in warm shades of yellow, making them seem almost ethereal on the faded bedsheets. “Bet you didn’t have to dry off the bed when you got up to leave with  _ guys.”  _ Angelica laughed, pulling Maria in for a kiss and allowing herself to be eased onto her back.

“Definitely not,” she said, and Maria felt a thrill shoot through her bloodstream at how damn  _ perfect  _ Angelica was. Maria ran her hands over Angelica’s body, making it her mission to map out every curve and angle with her lips. She didn’t miss the small gasp Angelica made when Maria brought her fingers to rest between her legs, rubbing over her panties lightly. They kissed again, hungry and sweet and tender. 

“Don’t think I don’t notice how  _ wet  _ you are,” Maria murmured against her mouth, pressing her hand down just a little bit harder, and was rewarded with the sound of another moan. Angelica whimpered out something like ‘ _ fuck yes, please touch me already,’  _ and Maria smiled at the honesty. One more thing she liked about Angelica, she was always blunt when it came to sex. There was no hunting around for information, she simply offered it up with the sort of truthfulness Maria never saw, or expected. 

_ God,  _ she was in so deep. Wasn’t she the one that said not to complicate it? 

But Maria was nothing if not generous, so she sat up slightly, still not breaking contact with Angelica.  _ Anyway, it was respectful to give when you get.  _ She wasn’t doing this because she  _ wanted  _ to be close to Angelica. Absolutely not. At least, that’s what she told herself when she pulled off the last of Angelica’s clothing, doing the same for herself. 

“C’mon angel, spread your legs for me,” Maria said, running her hands up Angelica’s thighs slowly, doing the same. She slotted their legs together, shifting around until they both moaned, overwhelmed with pleasure. Angelica angled her body almost upright so that they could continue to kiss, holding onto each other like a lifeline. _ Already coming.  _ Angelica’s sunshine-cast bed was filled with the sounds of pleasure and the softness of skin sliding against each other. 

When they finally collapsed, breathing heavily, Maria smiled softly, tangling them together under the sheets and nuzzling into Angelica’s throat, pressing her lips onto her collarbone. Was it so bad to want to stay here, in her feelings, just for a while? Maria could hardly remember a time she had been so content. Her past few years had been filled with terror and pain, so these warm moments had quickly become what her heart most desired. 

“Y’know,” she admitted, speaking slowly so to not trip over her words. “I used to be happy with just knowing that all those girls in the bars would stare at me drop lip. We’d dance together to Fifth Harmony or whatever else was playing, dripping in harmony. I’d lay ‘em down, feel ‘em up, and they’d slide away. It was so easy.” Angelica shifted away just enough to be able to make eye contact with Maria. 

“What are you saying?” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, and Maria recognized the uncertainty in her expression. It was present every time she looked into a mirror. Pushing herself up, Maria captured Angelica’s lips with her own, locking them into a long, gentle kiss. 

“I’m saying that it’s not easy anymore. Because I’m only happy with you,” she said against Angelica’s lips, and for a moment, she feared the woman would push her away. “But I care, a lot more than I should. And that’s kinda scary.” Angelica pulled her closer, sighing in relief.

“And I used to never be satisfied with guys. They were good, but never enough. And then I met you, and you were just supposed to be a one night stand, an experiment for the fun of it. But what I’m trying to say is that I care a lot too. So maybe we can both be scared...together.” Maria smiled, better than she’d ever been.

“I’d like that.”

* * *

 

She should’ve known something would go wrong eventually, she just didn’t expect it to be this bad. It had been a nice day, one that Maria had spent with Aaron and Theodosia. The couple had told her that they were expecting, and Maria jumped at the chance to help look through nursery room catalogs with them. But as she was walking down the street, umbrella opened to catch the large droplets of rain falling from the sky, she had seen them.

_ Them,  _ being Angelica and Reynolds, sitting in a coffee shop, chatting it up like old friends. Maria’s heart had plummeted right to the ground, blood running colder and colder with dread as she stayed, frozen in place on the sidewalk. Finally, when Angelica turned around for a split second, she met Maria’s eyes, opening her mouth to say something that was lost on her ears. 

_ —bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but they give me what I want for the night—bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but I tell ‘em and they do what I like— _

Maria automatically assumed the worst, how could she not? What was Reynolds telling her? What was she doing with him? She didn’t bother to try and hold back the pain ripping her chest apart. Maybe Reynolds was right, maybe bitches were only meant to be kept at arm's length, doing what she wanted them to and then being kicked out of her apartment.  _ Why? Why couldn’t Maria have realized that earlier? _

_ —bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but they give me what I want for the night—bitches, I don’t trust ‘em—but I tell ‘em and they do what I like— _

As soon as Maria was in her apartment, the realized that Angelica would try and go looking for her there. Hastily shaking off her umbrella and stumbling over to her bedroom, she hastily pulled on a dress, the same one she had worn when she first met Angelica. Maybe she was overreacting, but seeing Reynolds for the first time in almost a year, and seeing him with  _ Angelica  _ of all people, had sent her falling into the abyss, scrambling for purchase.  _ Why? Why did she have to go and catch feelings? _

_ —bitches, I don't trust 'em—but they give me what I want for the night— _

She needed to get out of here, find a stranger in the dark who would give her want she wanted for the night, and go home with them before she could think about this betrayal too much, let her emotions consume her. Maria pulled her phone out and called a taxi, typing in the address of a club she knew, one that was far enough from the lesbian bar that Angelica would surely try to find her in. Just as a precaution, she sent out a text to Aaron to let him know where she was going before shutting her phone off completely. 

_ —bitches, I don't trust 'em—but I tell 'em and they do what I like— _ _  
_

_ Why  _ did Maria have to go and be a fool and fall for someone she barely knew?  _ Why  _ was the thrumming music of the club she was in not quite enough to dull the ache in her heart? And  _ why  _ was that guy approaching her? He looked like a mess, cheeks tear-stained and eyes puffy, breath smelling strongly of weed.  _ That makes the two of us,  _ she thought cynically, a tremor of suspicion running through her at the way he was smirking,

“I think that you might be my stranger in the dark,” the guy said, and Maria couldn’t help her laughter. The irony was so ridiculous it hurt. Just then, someone who looked oddly familiar caught her eye in the club. She flicked her eyes around, trying to figure out if that was Angelica, or just her brain playing tricks on her. 

“Actually, the name’s Maria. And who are you?” Maria noticed the fact that the guy was leaning in, and she shifted away, making the distance between them more polite and less flirtatious. 

“I’m Alex…and I guess you could say I’m waiting for someone to take me home,” Alex said, brushing a strand of Maria’s hair behind her ear. She swallowed hard, freezing up. This guy was most definitely trying to get with her, but she was rooted to the spot, unable to get away, to say anything but Alex’s words. 

“Someone to take you home?” Maria echoed, tensing up even more when Alex moved close enough for his arm to wrap around her waist, lips touching her ear when he spoke. Maria wanted to push him away, squirm out of his hold on her, but the image of Reynolds was being projected in her mind. — _ Bitch—bitch—bitch— _

“ _ Yeah,”  _ Alex murmured, and just when Maria had gotten ready to shove him away and run to the comfort of the dance floor, his mouth was on hers and her mind was screaming in panic. But it didn’t last long, because Maria felt a hand on her shoulder, tentative yet confident, oh-so familiar. 

Angelica had saved her once again, wrapping Maria in her arms and pulling her away. Maria immediately relaxed into the familiar touch, but her comfort was short-lived, because Alex looked positively horrified when he saw Angelica’s face. One glance at Angelica revealed just the same shock, but with an undercurrent of outrage. 

_ “Oh my fucking god...Alex?”  _ Angelica’s wide eyes quickly narrowed, and Alex took a step back, one that Angelica matched with a vicious step forward, looking ready to kill. Maria pulled her back, too confused to be able to properly process everything, too on-edge from Alex, too frightened by Reynolds. 

“Who’s that?” Maria whispered into Angelica’s ear, moving closer to her familiar warmth. What was happening? Questions rushed through her mind, carrying her away in her confusion. 

_ “That  _ is my sister’s boyfriend,” she hissed venomously, tightening her hold on Maria as if to keep her from floating away. Alex looked scared as hell and guilty as sin, not meeting either of their eyes. Maria knew Angelica had two sisters, one of which was dating a guy Angelica used to have a crush on, but she didn’t know it was  _ this one.  _ What the fuck had she stumbled into?

“I’m…” Alex trailed off, whirling around and running into the crowds at breakneck speed. As soon as he was gone, Angelica slumped against Maria, exhaling. Neither of them spoke for a second, until Angelica cupped Maria’s jaw, tilting her head up so that their lips could meet. It was perfect, as natural as breathing, and when they parted, Angelica’s feels were written plainly on her face,

“Maria, I’m so sorry. I can explain everything I swear. I’m sorry,” she whispered, words falling out of her mouth with increasing speed. Maria squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, clinging desperately onto Angelica. Without her permission, three words ran through her mind, and her lips formed them silently. 

_ —I love you—I love you—I love you— _

* * *

 

As soon as they were back in Maria’s apartment, Angelica had pulled her back into a hug, holding her as close as possible. Maria never wanted to let go

“I’m sorry,” she said again, pleading for Maria to believe her. “I never meant it hurt you I just—Burr told me he was having trouble with the case and I...I thought I could help,” Angelica had started crying sometime as well, her curls falling across her face. Maria brushed one behind her ear, leaning in to quiet her babbling with a kiss. She was still hurt, but there was no way she was running away this time. She led Angelica to her couch, sitting them both down and nodding her head reassuringly. 

“It’s okay, angel. I’ve got you.” Maria kissed her again, running a hand down her back to calm her. Angelica took a deep breath, drawing the back of her hand over her eyes to dry her tears. 

“Your divorce case was coming up and Burr...he told me Reynolds was calling you, but you refused to record the messages. I thought if I could record him saying something then maybe the case wouldn’t go to litigation. So I arranged a meeting. I just wanted you to be free of him.” Angelica’s eyes, those beautiful dark eyes that had charmed Maria so easily, didn’t waver in the slightest. An equal mix of understanding and relief washed over Maria. 

Angelica wasn’t betraying her.

Angelica was helping her.

Angelica still  _ cared. _

Maria felt a startled peal of laughter fall from her lips, and she threw her arms around Angelica, bodies slotting together perfectly as they kissed for what seemed like a heavenly eternity. Angelica pushed Maria on her back, arching up against her. They pulled away, and the first words that left Maria’s mouth were the ones she had realized in the club.

“I love you,” she said, eyes shining. Angelica’s heart beat frantically through her shirt, and for a second she was afraid Angelica would push her away. But instead of doing that, she just pulled Maria closer.

“I love you,” Angelica echoed, capturing Maria in a deep, passionate kiss. In that moment, Maria didn’t care about Reynolds, about Alex, about anything but Angelica and how  _ perfect  _ everything was. 

_ —bitches, I don't trust 'em—but they give me what I want for the night— _

Maria heard Reynolds’s voice in her head, hissing to her that she was vile, unworthy. That Angelica was nothing but an untrustworthy bitch who was only good for one night. But Maria was  _ done  _ letting him control her. Angelica had worked so hard to make sure she would be free, and Maria would be damned if she would let her effort go to waste. 

Reynolds might’ve said that bitches were unable to be trusted, but Maria didn’t belong to him anymore. 

“Thank you,” she whispered to Angelica reverently. “For everything.” Maria felt Angelica slide off of her, and she whimpered a complaint. Angelica smiled apologetically, pressing another kiss to Maria’s lips. Her entire expression was alight with unadulterated adoration.

“I would love to continue this later, but right now, we have to pay a visit to my sister. Her name is Eliza.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I interrupt your regularly scheduled Jamilton angst to bring you our favorite lesbians.  
> This is also my favorite song on the album, so it was mega fun to write!  
> This has got to be my favorite thing I've ever written, I really hope y'all enjoyed reading this story, so please comment what you thought! It motivates me to keep writing  
> (Also, Act 1 of BLUE LIPS is now complete! I’ll resume my regular uploading schedule in a few days but for now, stay tuned for the rest of Alexander’s journey! <3)


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